


When Leisurely Walks Turn Into Deep Trouble

by IronMum



Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: "Take me instead", Angst with a Happy Ending, Asphyxiation, Buried Alive, Claustrophobia, Gen, Good Parent May Parker (Spider-Man), Hurt Peter Parker, Hurt Tony Stark, Hurt/Comfort, Irondad, Peter Parker Whump, Precious Ned Leeds, Protective Tony Stark, Tony Stark Acting as Peter Parker's Parental Figure, Tony Stark Needs a Hug, Tranquilizers, spiderson
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-22
Updated: 2021-01-22
Packaged: 2021-03-13 12:02:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,427
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28903107
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IronMum/pseuds/IronMum
Summary: What could possibly go wrong when Pepper and May encourage Peter and Tony to go on a nice hike to embrace nature?Apparently for our favourite Irondad and Spiderson, quite a lot.
Relationships: May Parker (Spider-Man) & Tony Stark, Peter Parker & Tony Stark
Comments: 10
Kudos: 81





	When Leisurely Walks Turn Into Deep Trouble

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Kevy_Grayce](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kevy_Grayce/gifts).



> One of the first of the whumpier fics completed over Christmas. Hoping you enjoy! 😌
> 
> Re-adding a warning here for: Buried Alive, Claustrophobia, Asphyxiation

"Wait, stop, Mr Stark," Peter said, body on full alert. His eyes were darting around the area, head jerking in each direction to try and work out where the danger was. "Don’t move," he repeated, more firmly when he realised Tony had continued walking. At the same time as the instruction, the sound of a branch snapping from behind a huge oak tree caught Peter’s attention and he turned to face it in anticipation. Tony was already tapping on his watch as he prepared to engage the gauntlet. 

A wild berry bush next to them rustled and both went on the offense, Tony's arm extended and ready to fire whilst Peter aimed his web shooters in the direction. A further shake of the branches and out popped a fluffy squirrel, dark eyes rapidly focusing on the pair as it held onto an acorn, looking almost guilty. As quickly as it had made its entrance, it left dashing towards the neighbouring tree. The sound of its nails scratching against the bark slowly disappearing as it ascended.

Tony cleared his throat as he disengaged his weaponry and shrugged his shoulders in an attempt to loosen the tension that had built up. Peter was trying his very best, but failing, to conceal his flushed cheeks at the error. His Spider Sense still felt as if something wasn't right, but he had to consider the prospect that it may just be on overload due to the unknown environment they were in.

"Let's hope we don't have to deal with anymore ninja or overlord squirrels," Tony quipped as he ruffled Peter's hair, causing the boy to bat his hands away.

"Sorry Mr Stark, I think I'm just on high alert as it's not everyday Spider-Man goes for a hike… Away from the city." 

"Well, would you like it to be a more permanent arrangement? A bit of fresh air does the body wonders."

"Did Pepper make you say that?" Peter asked, nose scrunched up like a child being offered their least favourite food.

"How could you tell?" Tony responded with a wide grin across his face.

"Just seemed a bit zen… And healthy coming from you." 

"You wound me," Tony dramatically declared as he placed a hand over his heart. The comment caused Peter to let out a hearty giggle, which Tony followed in turn. 

"Bet Pepper didn't know you brought that gauntlet," Peter said through laughs as he eyed Tony's wrist.

"Bet May didn’t know you brought your web shooters. Anyway, you can never be too careful. In these woods there's all sorts. Bears… Spider-Man-eating squirrels…"

"Shut up," Peter jested as he gently pushed his mentor, the older man retaliated with a soft shoulder nudge. In the older man’s defence though, he was right. The likelihood of anyone ever hearing the words _Tony Stark_ and _leisurely hike through the Debar Mountain_ were pretty bottom of the barrel. With almost no tech between them. Pepper had insisted they _embrace the natural surroundings_ whilst May had adamantly taken both of their phones.

 _"What could possibly go wrong?!"_ she had exclaimed smugly as she exchanged a wink with Pepper.

And now here the pair were, Tony trying his best to be incognito with a bland grey cap, burgundy and copper plaid shirt, and casual trousers. Peter had dressed similarly for the occasion, though it wasn’t that different from his usual get up.

The hike trail had been quiet with minimal other walkers, but that hadn’t stopped Peter’s neck burning throughout. Prior to the squirrel, which had literally had the hairs on his arm standing, he had been doing his best to ignore its niggling. His mentor had definitely noticed he was on edge so they’d broached a lot of different topics that hadn’t been explored before. Just general knowledge, music tastes, favourite movies. But it was nice.

"Hey, you wanna take a selfie?" Tony asked, halting Peter in his tracks. The stunned look on his face comical to say the least, mouth dropping slightly ajar and eyes wide.

"R-Really?" The boy hesitated and for a moment he thought his mentor looked offended by the response.

"Well, I wouldn’t have asked if I hadn’t meant it. Anyway, why wouldn’t I want a photo with my favourite intern?" 

"I’m your only intern…" Peter supplied as he shook his head, a half smile threatening to dissolve the feigned dismay he’d wanted to act out.

"Then I stand by the compliment to you. My logic is undeniable," Tony confidently attested with a victorious pour before gesturing for the teen to join him. Peter simply scoffed at the response before awkwardly standing next to his mentor, arms at his side. 

"How exactly are we going to take a selfie with no phone?" he queried with narrowed eyes. With a click of his tongue, Tony tapped his shirt pocket and pulled out a small pair of black rimmed glasses.

"You brought MORE tech?!" Peter gasped as he took a single side step away. He hadn’t seen Tony work on them before so he was absolutely intrigued at what they could do, if anything.

"I mean, it was going to be sunny today. Surely a man’s gotta do what a man’s gotta do to protect his eyes. These are just a prototype anyway, I mean look at this shoddy signal bar.”

"What kind of glasses that ‘protect eyes’ need signal anyway?" Peter asked as he exaggerated imaginary quotation marks in the air with his fingers.

"The kind that are going to take our photo and then forward to May and Pepper when we finally get a bit of service out here," Tony answered as he closed the gap between them and slung his arm over the teen’s shoulders. He then stuck his arm out, but immediately dropped it feeling ever so awkward. After a couple more tries, Peter then took the phone and extended his arm out. Like his mentor he had also retracted, something just feeling off.

"I think it’s our short arms, Mr Stark," Peter concluded, earning him a glare from his mentor. Not that he would audibly counteract. Instead, he scouted around them before holding out his hand to Peter. 

"I need your shoe." Peter’s mouth opened to question such a request when Tony continued. "It’s important so just hand it over.”

With a huff, Peter complied, handing his shoe over and watched as his mentor seemed to fiddle with the glasses before placing them on top of the shoe on a rock. He quickly made his way back to Peter and resumed their previous pose. There was no flash, click, nothing. After a good ten seconds, Tony simply gave Peter’s arm a gentle squeeze before heading back to their makeshift camera. He tossed Peter’s shoe back to him and took a quick peek at the glasses, a genuine, hearty smile spreading across his face. 

Peter was about to ask if he could look at the photo when his spine tingled and his instincts immediately kicked in. Before he knew what he was doing, his arm was outstretched and gripped onto his mentor, pulling him to the ground. He didn’t have time to say anything before his hand reflexed out again and this time caught what looked like a tranquilizing dart. 

The teen was back on his feet quickly, spinning on his heels as he clocked onto the sound of two more rounds whistling through the air at high speed. He’d managed to dodge one but unfortunately felt a pinch in his upper left thigh. The dart was well and truly embedded with only a metallic black and feather visible.

"Shit," he mumbled as his leg immediately started to feel numb, almost causing him to buckle where he stood. Tony was back on his feet too now, opting to take a defensive stance over Peter. His gaze shifted erratically in all directions as he sought to find the culprit.

"I'll give you a lifetime of acorns if you show yourself," Tony called out into the surrounding foliage, hoping his bravado would hide the inner panic. Peter's arm was suddenly pushing him again, this time causing the teen to fall to the ground. Without thinking, Tony yanked the second dart that was now lodged in his mentee’s bicep out causing a hiss of protest. 

"Worse than… tha... old movie, Ace Ventu'a," Peter stuttered before the pair's attention was drawn to movement from above the treeline.

"Usually I'd take out the parent of my prey but that's one hell of a reflex your kid has." The cold, thickly accented voice bellowed from above. Tony was quick to determine it was Russian. He shot a few concussion blasts into the treeline before a hulking figure leapt to the ground and stood before them. He was a good six feet tall with a muscular build, the arms strikingly large. Long dark hair complimented the thick brows and mustache. The garments were certainly unique compared to most villains they'd encountered. A vest revealing his ripped abs looked as if it had come straight from a lion's head, whilst his trousers and belts were littered with feathered darts, knives and other weaponry.

"Talk about Tarzan on roids. Does Jane know you've been out here juicing up?" Tony said, stealing a quick glance at Peter on the ground, whose eyes were hopelessly trying to stay open as he now resumed a half-lying-down, half-perched on his good elbow stance.

"Move away from my prize." 

"Yeah, that's not going to happen. What's the deal here? You want money? Some updated tech? Some clothes that actually fit?" 

"Your reputation for arrogance prevails, Tony Stark. But I'm not here for you. I'm here for the Spider." The hunter eyed up Peter with a glimmer of excitement in his eyes and a curl of his lips at the boy’s weakened state.

"No idea what you're talking about," Tony tried but was cut short by the hunter’s bellowing laughter. 

"I've been tracking that pesky insect for weeks. A good hunter always tracks and gets to know their prey. And recently my hunts have been boring until the infamous Queens vigilante started hitting the headlines. Who I know to be about five foot seven, and weighing around a hundred forty pounds. I know he's got the maturity of a child because I've heard his incessant nattering when he's out patrolling. And I know that he's lost three bags in the last two weeks and that all of them had books belonging to… Peter Parker. And look what I have before me."

"Not… an insect," Peter slurred, attempting and failing to sit up. "Insects have six legs… Nature boy." Tony couldn't help but choke on the sass even if his mind was in panic ridden overdrive at how he was going to get them the fuck out of this situation.

"Can't deny you've done your research but the kid’s right. One minute you're discussing spiders. Next insects. You don't even know what you're looking for, caveman."

"Kraven," the villain corrected through snarled teeth. "And if you continue to interfere, then it won't just be his head on my display wall." 

Tony didn't really have a chance to have a comeback because Kraven was already approaching the pair with huge steps, crunching both of his knuckles as he did so. Peter had attempted to move but was now flat on his back, incoherently mumbling as he desperately tried to fight the tranquilizing agent. His body was screaming to protect the pair of them.

Several shots from the gauntlet barely had Kraven flinching before he punched Tony in the shoulder and then in the face sending him crashing to the ground in a split second. He’d gone to hop back up but yelped in pain when his clavicle crunched at the movement. Of course, the man had incapacitated the one limb that had any kind of weaponry, not that it had seemed to have any effect. For good measure, the hulking villain leaned down and took a strong grip on the gauntlet before gripping and yanking hard, ensuring it was truly broken.

"My nerve smashing punch can literally keep some of the biggest beasts in Africa down. It would be a waste of time trying to get any use out of that arm, but I'll enjoy your squirming nevertheless. Squirming prizes make great entertainment." The taunt had practically been whispered in his ear, Kraven was so close to his face. 

"Get the fuck away from him," Tony mustered as he spat blood from his mouth onto the ground. The man had clearly hit his cheek with less force, likely so he’d be conscious enough to watch what happened to Peter.

"If he wasn't the Spider, he would be dead by now," Kraven declared in victory as he kicked Tony’s supporting arm from underneath him and stamped on his shins a couple times for good measure. 

"He's not the Spider. I can introduce you to the guy. Take me instead," Tony started to plead as the hunter turned his attention to the kid, gripping the collar of his t-shirt and slowly lifting him into the air. The teen sluggishly grabbed onto the hand, attempting to pry the fingers away but it was futile.

"He wouldn’t be moving if he wasn't the Spider," Kraven deduced as he studied the teen up and down. 

"Okay. Okay. He is enhanced but he's not Spider-Man. Look at him, he’s a kid... Please." 

Kraven simply barked with laughter as he threw the teen over his shoulder and started to waltz away. Despite the kid changing his plans, overall it had been a well executed hunt. In fact, it couldn’t have gone any better. The environment had impacted Peter’s enhanced senses and the pair had practically been unarmed. It had gone so well, it had almost been a disappointment to the hunter.

"A shame he was such an easy catch. I would've enjoyed a good fight had he not let his weakness for you get in the way. He seemed a worthy opponent, but I guess looks can be deceiving,” he vocalised in an effort to further antagonise Tony. 

"No. NO. Come BACK! … I'll fucking kill you!" Tony called out as he finally got himself upright using a tree to bear some of his weight. He managed to limp a few feet, using trees for stability and raised his hand. In a final desperate act he attempted to fire the mangled gauntlet, falling to the ground when it simply gave him an electric shock.

"Not before I've skinned him alive and hung his head in my cabin," Kraven retorted smoothly before he was out of sight and his footsteps could be heard no more. 

Squeezing his eyes shut in both physical and mental anguish, Tony tried a couple more times to get up before halting his efforts and taking heaving breaths. Self doubt loomed in the back of his brain telling him he'd lost the kid over and over. He needed a plan. And he needed it to come quicker than ever. As if on cue, something made him look to his left. And there, hidden in the leaves where Peter had been lying, was one of his web shooters, which he must have somehow removed. _You little genius, Peter._ Knowing it could help with tracking, he crawled over to it and flicked it onto his wrist, swallowing thickly at the nausea the movement had caused. Once secure, the tech suddenly beeped a couple of times in his hand, a small red light flashing. 

"R2D2 Protocol activated," a robotic voice chimed that Tony didn't recall as being any of his AI programmes. 

"Obi Wan KeNEDobi reporting for duty," a familiar voice answered charmingly. 

"What?!" Tony challenged incredulously, voice unable to contain the frustration.

"Holy shit. Mr Stark is that you? Erm. We... Sorry. It's Ned. Peter's Guy in the Chair. Is everything okay?" 

"Is there tracking on this shooter? In fact is there tracking on both shooters?" Tony questioned as his mind started to come up with the foundations of an immediate rescue plan.

"Yes, Sir," Ned confirmed curtly as Tony could suddenly hear furious typing on a keyboard. "Erm, sir?"

"I don't know how this thing is managing to connect considering the diabolical signal but I'll take it. Can you patch me through to a number if I give it to you?"

"It was a little project of mine and Peter's we-"

"Kid. I really need you to focus, okay. Are you able to patch a call through for me?"

"Sorry, Mr Stark. I should be able to, yes. Is Peter okay?" With a shuddering breath, Tony ignored the question and promptly provided the teen with a number for the one person he knew could get there instantaneously.

Peter jolted awake, his head immediately connecting with something wooden before he could try and sit up any further. The action elicited a groan from him before he tried to shift again, his neck aching badly and limbs tingling with pins and needles. His movements became more and more rapid as he realised he was in such a cramped and claustrophobic space, providing barely any movement at all. In fact, it felt like a box made specifically to fit his body shape… Like a coffin.

Sweat started to bead and his breathing accelerated as he tried his best to prevent an oncoming panic attack at the idea. He racked his mind for what had happened, quickly envisioning flashbacks of the hike. The photo. The darts. The hunter.

Panicked hands grabbed at his shirt as he attempted to lean his face down with the minimal space he had. Not that he would be able to see anything in the complete and utter, unnerving darkness. He could feel the dampness of blood lingering from where he'd been shot trying to escape the first time. The wound itself seemed to already be healing as a finger grazed across it’s tender surface. 

"Hello!" he shouted as loud as his protesting lungs would allow. "Help! Please! Help! Can anyone hear me?!" The teen felt overwhelmed with a sudden wave of dizziness, unsure if it was being caused by the cramped space he was stuck in, the thick air weighing down on him, the healing from the injuries and drugs _or_ a combination of all. The lightheadedness served to completely amplify a feeling of dread and impending doom. 

The sound of his fingers scraping and banging against his underground prison grew unbearably loud, his ears even picking up the sound of skittering insects nearby. The rapid thumping of his heart and constriction in his chest enhanced the influx of anxiety. Being blinded by darkness should have assisted in the sensory overload taking him over, but instead it frightened him to near breaking point. His fists and feet started to hammer at the wooden enclosure again, pleas for help ripped his throat raw. In the midst of the attack, his eyes suddenly registered a red light flashing within the enclosed space. It was his web shooter. His muscles continued to twitch from the attack as he tapped on his wrist and activated the tech.

"Peter!?" the combined voices of Tony and Ned practically bawled out, the high levels of stress evident in their voices.

"Peter, are you hurt? Ned’s locking onto your coordinates now," Tony continued like he was unable to control the words from spilling out. 

The teen tried to form a sentence to respond, but it died on the tip of his tongue. Having to say out loud that he was pretty sure he was buried alive and had been underground consuming the little oxygen he had was too terrifying to admit. Adding to the fact that the panic attack would have likely depleted valuable air from the ticking time bomb he lay in. He only managed a whimper before biting down on his lower lip to try and compose himself.

"Buddy, you’re freaking me out. Talk to me," Tony urged, tone far softer than the initial outburst.

"Th-Think I’m buried," he painfully managed, tears of terror and relief running down his cheeks. There was a brief yet suspenseful pause between all of them, before the shuffling of one of the microphones was all that could be heard.

"Peter, this is Dr Strange. I need you to stay as calm as possible, do you understand? As a precaution, I’d like you to take deep breaths and hold them for as long as possible before you exhale."

The teen hummed a response, trying his best to breath as instructed. His bottom lip occasionally trembling which caused a shudder to the rhythm that was audible to the others on the call. 

"We’ve found some tracks, Tony," the voice of Steve Rogers chimed on the comms and Peter’s heart almost skipped a beat. 

"Would you hold still?" Stephen and Natasha simultaneously grumbled at the same time, as Tony flinched at their attempts to sling his arm. 

"Is… Is that the Avengers?" Peter whispered hoarsely. 

"Yeah. I got to assemble the Avengers, Peter. It was badass," Ned speedily confessed. Peter smiled to himself, the buzz of pride coming off his friend clear in his voice. 

"So... We’re looking for Spider-Man? As opposed to Ant-Man who one would expect to find potentially underground?" Clint questioned, his breaths sounding like he was running. There was a mixture of muttered expletives in response.

"Some spiders do actually bury themselves, if you must know," Natasha replied, doing nothing to hide her irritation.

"Not that it would matter anyway. Peter doesn’t do that much spider stuff. Like there’s no venom spitting, laying of eggs, summoning of spider armies…"

"Ned… Please..." Peter groaned. After a light chuckle, the comms had generally fallen silent as the team split off into varying parts of the forest in an effort to increase the pace in which he was found. Ned was working on the tracking as quickly as he could, though being underground was impeding the signal.

"Hey, Ned?" Peter rasped, the strain it was taking clear as day on the comms.

"Yes, Peter?" Ned acknowledged as he continued to tap away at his keyboard.

"Can you tell May that I'm sorry and I love her… And you've been the best friend… And MJ. L-Love you both."

The ground swallowed Tony in that very moment. His hand aimlessly reached out to brace himself, finding Stephen's shoulder. 

"Mr Stark?" the meek voice struggled. 

"I'm here, kiddo." 

"So-Sorry if this i-is embarrassing with like the… the team listening… Just. Thank you. So...much." He pauses with a painful wheeze before trying to continue, albeit his voice now so soft it's barely audible. "Lov...."

"Coordinates locked on," Ned announced hastily, barely containing his emotion as Tony started calling out Peter’s name in a panicked frenzy. The teen’s laboured breaths had grown weaker and weaker until they suddenly just stopped following a whine and final gasp. The next few minutes happened in a blur as Steve found the site first, closely followed by the rest of the team.

Despite already feeling nauseated at the prospect of Peter being buried, seeing the disturbed mud only served to push Tony over the edge. He was on his knees and scooping handfuls of mud with his good arm as fast as humanly possible with the rest of them. They weren’t sure how far they’d got when hands touched a wooden surface, slightly splintered from where Peter had initially lashed out. 

The first thing Tony saw was the deathly pallor of Peter's tear stained skin and the deeply contrasting blue lips. His disheveled, dark hair matted to his forehead, highlighting it's sickly paleness. He went to dive forward in an attempt to scoop his kid up but Steve had already hopped down, being careful not to land on the kid. Tony had honestly wanted to push past, the common sense in his brain not allowing him to accept the fact his injured arm would have prevented him from completing the action quick enough. As he watched the scene unfold he took note of the bloodied knuckles and fingers from where Peter had so desperately tried to escape. 

An unimaginable fear Tony would never be able to comprehend despite all the trauma life had dealt him. Red blossomed around a patch on his shirt from a wound the kid definitely hadn't had prior to being taken. He'd remembered hearing what sounded like a gunshot as Stephen had tended to him. His heart had skipped several beats and he'd almost thrown up. 

Time was threatening to become a blur again as Peter was laid on the leafy forest floor, and Stephen and Steve started looking for any sign of life. Stephen’s shaking fingers pressed to Peter’s neck and as Steve put his ear to the kid’s mouth. The answer to both actions was clear when the doctor ripped open Peter’s shirt, only hesitating briefly at the sight of a healing bullet wound before interlocking his fingers and starting chest compression. Tony had already shuffled towards them, still on his knees as he started to plead. 

"C’mon, Pete. Please. C’mon. Don’t do this to me." 

A choked sob resounded over the comms, as Ned barely managed to control his emotions at what he was hearing. Clint was quick to hop onto the comms and started talking to the teen, trying to be as comforting as he could.

When the time came for mouth to mouth, the doctor had initially looked to Steve but the dangerous glare Tony had given them both told it was best he do it. _He needed to feel like he was doing something to help save his kid after failing to protect him._ As an alternative, Steve switched places with Stephen, hands at the ready for compressions. Tony tilted the kid’s head back, opened his mouth and pinched his nose. After the second rescue breath there was nothing, not a single noise or sign of life. 

The next thirty compressions moved slowly for Tony as he'd started carding his fingers through Peter's hair. His brain was screaming at him, wanting him to to just shake his kid's shoulders and call out his name. He felt like he was going to implode. 

In that very moment, the prospect of his own death would've been far quicker and easier for him to deal with. The almost indescribable anguish tortured his chest unbearably as if his heart was being savaged from the inside out. The prospect of Peter never taking another breath had his lungs feeling unbearably restricted. They had just wanted to go on a leisurely walk. How had that turned into this horror movie?

The snap of a rib dragged him from his thoughts as he heard Steve approach the number thirty, muttering the numbers out loud. With his composure failing, Nat had taken over the mouth to mouth whilst Stephen began to open a portal to the medbay. Overloaded with everything going on, Tony wasn’t sure how much time had passed between the noise of the medbay flooding through and the initial CPR. What he did know was just before a team of personnel swamped the scene, Peter’s eyes drifted open and he let out a strained gasp. It had been much too short for someone who’d been starved of oxygen but it was at least a sign that his kid was alive and fighting.

Peter’s eyes remained unfocused as he resumed consciousness, his chest finally rose and fell by itself. Tony cupped his face with one hand as he allowed himself to keel over so his face was leaning against Peter's shoulder with minimal weight. Before he knew it there were orders and prying hands as Dr. Cho and the team desperately attempted to get to Peter to give him the treatment he needed. In a moment of sheer hysteria, he lashed out not ready to let go of his kid. The last thing he remembered was his ears ringing and dark spots clouding his vision before complete darkness took over.

With his eyes still closed, Tony regained awareness slowly. He felt incredibly comfortable and warm as if he were in his own bed, the duvet soft and the perfect tog. There was an ache to his limbs, being masked by a sense of wooziness that could only be coming from pain medication, as he no longer drank. That chain of thoughts had his body jolt with a sharp inhale. He hadn’t opened his eyes, but he heard the sound of someone approaching before a hand clasped his, a thumb gently rubbing circles into his with all the care in the world. His eyes initially struggled to focus in the dimly lit room until he recognised long brown hair and oversized prescription glasses that he could vaguely see his own reflection in and a warm smile. 

"May?" Tony muttered slightly shocked, his throat dry and sore. 

"Shh. It's okay, Tony,” she whispered, eyes gesturing to the side of him. He glanced over and almost jumped out of skin when he realised Peter was next to him. He barely took in the sight of the boy before his eyes were back onto May, wide and horrified.

"You're both going to be alright. You saved him," she assured in a hushed tone. 

"I… I'm so sorry, May. I…"

"Do me a favour Tony." May's tone was firmer, but still maintained a compassionate touch. "You blaming yourself for this is about as useful as me blaming myself. Or Pep for that matter. Even worse, Peter. I should have never asked you guys to give up your phones. You could've at least called for backup or… or something. Just… We should save ourselves the mental energy."

"I was down like a sack of shit so fast. I was…" He contemplated on the words to use. His mind uttering _failure, useless, helpless, pathetic._ In its deepest, darkest areas he could hear his own words echoing, _if you're nothing without the suit you then shouldn't have it._ "I asked the guy… Kraven... to take me instead. Practically begged..."

"Stop that," May lightly scolded, regathering his attention. "I know that look. I see it far too often on my nephew."

"Has he woken up at all?" Tony asked, as his eyes fell back to the small mound buried under the duvet, colour completely restored on the bits of skin he could see.

"Yeah. He wasn't too enthusiastic about the medbay and as he's only on oxygen. They allowed him in here with you as long as he agreed to monitoring. He'd not been… Out long when you got him out. And all that… healing business has done a lot of the work."

"How long have I been out?" Tony thought out loud, not meaning to interrupt her.

"It's been about sixteen hours, you were… initially sedated…"

"What the f-" Tony was quick to retort, attempting to sit up but quickly gasping at the pain in his arm.

"It's okay... It's okay," May was on her feet, one hand on his shoulder the other hovering behind his back to stabilise him. "Honestly, get some rest. You took quite the hit, I was told. And from someone enhanced."

"Kraven was acting like he wanted Peter… And yet. He buried him…"

"I haven’t managed to get the fully story yet but Peter implied he may have attempted to escape a few times and I quote, ‘ _was really, really annoying.’_ " That had Tony snorting for a moment before his panic mode started to engage.

"Has he been found?" May was quick to place a straw to his lips to take a quick drink before he inevitably crashed, his eyes beginning to fight staying awake..

"Nat, Steve and Rhodey seem to be hot on his trail so I have no doubt they’ll have him in no time. Clint volunteered to go and make sure Ned was okay. He seemed to prefer the idea of Nat but… She let him down gently."

The answer seemed to have settled him enough that he nestled back into the pillow before his features went lax. May waited the few minutes for his snoring to start again before briefly returning to her nephew’s side, fingers gliding through his hair and gently massaging his scalp. She was sure she heard Tony mumble a _love you too_ towards Peter but let it slide as she was sure the time would come when the pair would do it face to face, and you bet she’d already asked F.R.I.D.A.Y. to record the moment.

**Author's Note:**

> Please do check out the fanart Kevy drew for this on Instagram @kevy_fanfics It's an absolute masterpiece ❤️💛


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